Lord knows, I’m in no position to give parenting advice—who among us is?—but nevertheless, after watching Young America’s Foundation’s video below, I am going to do so. The video shows college students blissfully unaware of both the 9-11 Anniversary AND the brutal murder of two American journalists by ISIS. But you can bet they all knew the names of actresses exposed by the nude photo scandal.
Here's my advice. Parents: Watch the news with your children from a young age. OF COURSE don’t let them see the gory stuff when they’re too young, but if you protect your children from reality of what’s happening in our world, they will grow to be just like some of the young adults in this video (and those in the famous Watters World segments on The O'Reilly Factor): ignorant.
I understand the urge to protect one’s children. I have done it when they were small. I remember turning off the TV thirteen years ago on 9-11 as my four year old was fascinated by the explosions. But ever since they were young, I’ve generally had the news on in the evening. And we talk about it.
Growing up, I remember my father assigning each of us kids a serious, current-events topic. We were expected to be prepared to discuss it around the dinner table with the whole family. I didn’t like it at the time, but because of that, we became interested and engaged. And we have never stopped paying attention.
Now, some of my very conservative, patriotic friends have trouble getting their 18+ year old kids to vote, or even to pay attention to the goings-on in the world. These are some great young people, mind you. But their parents never watched the news with them either in an effort to protect them, or because life is just too busy already and they treasured their homes as a respite from a crazy world. I get it. But it’s a problem.
Either we raise our children to pay attention and care about events occurring in their own country and around the world, or we raise them to be low-information voters, easily influenced by leftist teachers and professors, and by the main stream media.
Start now. Lovingly and appropriately introduce your children to the world. Yes, it’s an ugly, sad, scary place some of the time. Most of the time, it seems, these days. But your children can have a hand in making it less so if only they are aware it exists.
Kudos to Young America's Foundation spokeswoman Ashley Pratte, who interviewed students at George Washington University about the anniversary of September 11.
